Portlethen Men’s Shed gets council Christmas donation

Councillor Jim Gifford, Leader of Aberdeenshire Council and Sonnie Bain, Portlethen and District Men's Shed

Published:08:00Friday 26 December 2014

Aberdeenshire Council leader, Councillor Jim Gifford, has chosen Portlethen, Inverurie and Ellon Men’s Sheds as the beneficiaries of his Christmas donation.

Cllr Gifford presented £665 to each of the groups on behalf of the council at their Woodhill House headquarters in Aberdeen on Friday.

The Men’s Shed movement began in Australia, where it aimed to provide a social and workshop environment for men of all ages who were retired, found themselves out of work or with extra time on their hands they wanted to fill.

The movement spread quickly to Aberdeenshire with the support of the UK’s only full-time Men’s Shed Development Worker and the first Scottish Men’s Shed opened its doors in Westhill in February 2013.

Since then, Men’s Sheds in Ellon, Inverurie and Portlethen have been established and all are now registered Scottish charities.

The purposes of the sheds are to provide recreational facilities and advance the social needs, health and wellbeing of men of all ages and backgrounds living in the surrounding area.

Cllr Gifford said: “I am very pleased to be able to support three of Aberdeenshire’s Men’s Sheds and the invaluable work they do.

“Loneliness is something which is often under-discussed by society in general but humans need social interaction.

“The Men’s Sheds provide a place to meet, have a cup of tea and chat and take part in a whole host of different activities you may already enjoy or have never tried before.”

Men’s Shed Development Worker, Jason Schroeder, said: “On behalf of Ellon, Inverurie and Portlethen Men’s Sheds I would like to thank Cllr Gifford and Aberdeenshire Council for these generous donations.

“Aberdeenshire is the fastest growing area in the whole of the UK in terms of the development of Men’s Sheds and these funds will go a long way towards helping equip the sheds with the tools and IT requirements that the men use to become more active in their day-to-day lives.”

The Provost of Aberdeenshire, Jill Webster, and Chief Executive Colin Mackenzie will also make £2000 Christmas donations to charities of their choice.

n For more information on Portlethen Men’s Sheds, go to http://www.portlethenmensshed.co.uk